Fuse cutouts



Aug. 25, 1959 Filed May 18, 1956 R. A. GESELLSCHAP FUSE CUTOUTS 2Sheets-Sheet 1 [N VENTOE Foes/2 TA. GEJELLSC/MP Aug. 25, 1959 FUSECUTOUTS Filed May 18, 1956 R. A. GESELLSCHAP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A705,?T/A. sagas 4p Ivor/2463a",

.a suitable support, a cross-arm, for instance.

United States Patent FUSE CUTOUTS Robert A. Gesellschap, Florissant,Mo., assignor to James R. Kearney Corporation, St. Louis, Mo., acorporation of Missouri Application May 18, 1956, Serial No. 585,897

4 Claims. (Cl. 200-114) This invention relates generally to electricalcutouts and more specifically to an electrical cutout of the type havinga cartridge which contains a fusible link that is ruptured on theoccurrence of an electrical fault on the line protected by the cutoutwhich is of sufficient magnitude to rupture the fuse link, thepredominant object of the invention being to provide a cutout of thetype described which is provided with improved means for quicklyexhausting the gases that are formed as a result of the rupture of thefuse link and thereby avoiding the undesirable results which areincident to confinement of such gases, or at least the failure toquickly exhaust the gases from the cartridge.

Heretofore a tubular member was included as a part of the cartridge ofeach fuse cutout through which a fuse link was extended and this sametubular member was employed as the passageway through which the gasesresulting from rupture of the fuse link were exhausted to atmosphere.However, in accordance with this invention, the cartridge of the fusecutout is provided with a tubular member through which a fuse link isextended as heretofore, but in addition thereto the cartridge of thefuse cutout of this invention is provided with a second tubular member,the interior of which is arranged in communication with the interior ofthe firstmentioned tubular member to provide a path through which thegases produced by the rupture of the fuse link within saidfirst-mentioned tubular member may be quickly exhausted to atmosphere.

Fig. 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical sectionof an electrical fuse cutout constructed in accordance with thisinvention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, vertical section taken through the cartridge ofthe cutout shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 1 and showing thecartridge hinge in top plan;

Fig. 4 is an end view of the stationary part of the caritridge hinge;and

Fig. 5 is an end View of the movable part of the cartridge hinge takenfrom the end which interlocks with the end of the stationary part shownin Fig. 4.

In the drawings wherein is shown for purposes of illustration, merely,one embodiment of the invention, A designates the improved electricalfuse cutout, generally.

'The cutout A comprises an insulator 1 which preferably,

though not necessarily, is of the well known petticoat type, saidinsulator 1 having a smooth portion 2 which is embraced by a member 3,said member 3 being suit- .ably secured to an element 4 forming a partof a hanger structure 5 which is adapted to mount the cutout A onAdjacent to the lower end of the insulator 1 is located a stationaryhinge member 6, said hinge member being secured to a :saddle member 6',said saddle member straddling the low- 2,991,573 Patented Aug. 25, 1959her 6 thereby to hold said hinge member in place. The forward portion ofthe hinge member 6 is bifurcated, the spaced side portions 6 thereofbeing joined by the rear wall 6 of said hinge member. Each of the spacedside portions 6 of the hinge member 6 is provided with a slot 9, theslots 9 of the two side portions 6 being aligned with each other andeach slot is provided with a mouth 10 which provides a passageway intoand out of the slot. Alsothe hinge member 6 is provided with flaredwings 11 which serve a purpose to be hereinafter set forth.

The cutout A includes a fuse cartridge C which unlike the ordinary fusecartridge of electrical fuse cutouts is provided with two tubes 12 and13, instead of one of such tubes as heretofore. The fuse cartridge isprovided with a lower member 14 which receives the lower portions of thetubes 12 and 13, said tubes being open at the lower face of said lowermember 14, as shown in Fig. 2. The lower member 14 of the fuse cartridgeC is provided with a rearwardly projected extension 15 which is providedwith a recess 15 formed therein that is open at the bottom face of theextension. The recess 15 of the extension 15 receives the outer endportion of an arm 16 of a pivot member 16, said arm being pivotallysecured by a pivot pin 17 to the wall portions at opposite sides of therecess 15 in the extension 15 of the member 14. The pivot member 16 isprovided with a portion 18 which extends rearwardly and upwardly and isprovided with spaced rear portions having arcuate faces 18 at each side.Also extended outwardly in opposite directions from the pivot member 16is a pairof trunnions 19 which are disposed in the slots 9 of the hingemember in order to support the cartridge C for downward and outwardpivotal movement relative to the insulator 1.

Interposed between the saddle member 6 and the hinge member 6 is theupper portion of a terminal 20, said terminal being the outgoingterminal of the cutout A. The terminal 20* is held in place by the boltof the bolt and nut assembly 7 which extends through an opening formedthrough said upper portion of said terminal, said bolt extending alsothrough an opening formed through a spring finger member 21 which ridesupon with the arcuate faces 18 of the pivot member 16 and tends to movethe forward end portion of said pivot member downwardly.

A coil spring 17 surrounds pin 17 with one end hearing upon the front ofmember 16 and the other end hearing within recess 15*. Spring 17 thusalso urges the front end of member 16 downwardly.

The cartridge has arranged at its top a member 22 which includesscrewthreaded openings 23 and 2 4 that screwthreadedly receive the upperportions of the tubes 12 and 13, the opening 23 which receives the upperportion of the tube 12 being placed in communication with the opening 24which receives the upper portion of the tube 13 by means of a passageway25, as shown in Fig. 2 The member 22 is provided with an upwardlyprojected extension 26 which is provided with a passageway 27 havinginternal screwthreads, there being vertically aligned openings 23 whichplace the passageway 27, the passageway 25, and the interiors of tubes12 and 13 in communication with each other. Also, the member 22 isprovided with an eye 29 which serves to receive a finger of a switchstick when it is desired to operate the cutout manually as a disconnectswitch. Arranged within the tube 12 is a fuse link L which is providedat its top with a button 30 that contacts with a seat 31 within themember 22, a screwthreaded element 32 being screwed into the passageway27 of the extension 26 of the member 22 and into contact with saidbutton 30 of the fuse link to confine said button between saidscrewthreaded element 32 and said seat 31 so as to secure the upperportion-of the fuse link in place. The fue link L is providedimmediately adjacent to the button with a fusible section enclosed witha sleeve 33, and the lower portion of said fuse link is secured by a nut34 to the forward'end portion'of the pivot member 16 so that when thefuse link is drawn taut, the front end of member 16 is moved upwardlyabout pin 17 and against the bias of spring 17 It will be noted that thefuse link L extends from the bottom of the tube 12 immediately acrossthe open bottom of the tube 13 to the nut 34.

The insulator 1 is provided with a smooth annular portion 35 about whicha band 36 is arranged, this band being provided with a pair of forwardlyextended and spaced extensions 37 which are drawn together by a bolt 38so that the band 36 is clamped about the smooth portion 35 of theinsulator 1. The spaced extensions 37 are provided with inwardly bent,overlapping end portions 37 in contact with which a terminal 39 isarranged, and the cutout A includes a latching hood 40 which serves tolock the cartridge C in the closed-switch position. The latching hood isprovided with a rear wall 40 and a top wall 40 said top wall having adownwardly projected protuberance 41 that serves as a latch for engagingthe head portion of the screwthreaded element 32 and thereby locking thecartridge in its closed-circuit position. The top wall of the latchinghood has a forwardly projected hook-shaped element 42 extendingtherefrom which is intended to facilitate raising the forward portion ofthe latching hood by means of a conventional switch stick. Adjacent therear wall of the latching hood 40 is an L-s'haped member 43 having acurved outer end portion, said extension 43 serving as an abutment whichlimits rearward movement of the upper end portion of the cartridge Cwhen being moved into closed-circuit position. A bolt 44 is extendedthrough aligned openings formed through the overlapping end portions 37of the extensions 37 of the band 36, said bolt extending also through anopening formed through a portion of'the terminal 39 and through openingsformed through the rear wall 40* of the latching hood 4t and through themember 43. The bolt 44 is provided with a head portion 44 which isspaced a considerable distance from the end wall of the latching hood,and interposed between member 43 and'said head of bolt 44 is a coilspring 45.

In the operation of the cutout of this invention the cartridge C is inthe position shown in Fig. 1 when the cartridge is fused and in use, thelower end portion of the fuse link L being fastened to the pivot member16 by the nut 34. When the cartridge is disposed in the closedswitchposition, as shown in Fig. 1, the fuse link L is held under constanttension, this by reason of the tendency of the pivot member 16 to turnabout pin 17 under the influence of spring 17 and in addition, the forceimparted by spring 45 acting upon hood 40 which tends to force thecartridge C downwardly. When the fuse link becomes ruptured, as a resultof'passage of abnormal current therethrough, the pivot member 16, freedof restraint at its outer or link-engaging end and acting under thespring bias imparted thereto, turns rapidly about the two axes definedbythe trunnions 19 and the pin 17. Concurrently, as a result of theexcesscurrent, gases are generated within the tube 12 and part of thesegases pass by way of the passageway 25 and the lower opening '28 intothe tube 13. Another portion of these gases pass downwardly through theopen end of tube 12. Thus upon rupture of the fuse link, a sudden jet ofgas is projected out of the lower ends of both tube 12 and tube 13. Thisjet impels the cartridge assembly in an upward direction against thebias of spring 45. The jet from tube 13 also impinges against theportion of the fuse link that extends across the lower end of said tube13. These two actions of the gas jet cooperate with the spring bias uponmember 16 to quickly separate the ruptured ends of the fuse link andextinguish any electrical are which forms between said ruptured ends ofthe fuse link.

The aforesaid upward movement of the cartridge rocks hood 40 and member43 against the bias of spring 45 and brings the lower end of member 43into electrical contact with member 22, so as to draw an external areaway from hood 40 and at the same time kicks member 22 outwardly overprotuberance 41. When the upward movement of the cartridge has beenarrested, spring 45 reacts to force the cartridge downwardly. Thelatter, being now free of restraint by the anchorage of the fuse .link,and aided by movement of the pivot member 16 about the trunnions 19(which movement is accompanied by an endwise lowering of the cartridgeC) falls clear of the protuberance 41 and swings under the influence ofgravity to full open position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to besecured by Letters Patent is:

1. In an electrical cutout of the character having a 'fuse cartridgearranged to discharge downwardly the gases generated as a consequence ofrupture of the fuse link within the cartridge, said cartridge having ahinge for engagement with a lower fixed terminal at the bottom and beingresiliently latched at the top to an upper fixed terminal but free toswing downwardly outwardly about its hinge when unlatched, theimprovement comprising, the upper fixed terminal having a movablecontact member, and a contact finger resiliently mounted for movementwith respect to said movable contact member-and adapted to'engage theside of said cartridge upon upward movement of said movable contactmember so as to propel said cartridge outwardly about its hinge, saidcartridge being so latched at its top as to normally remain 'in'aposition where the upper end thereof'is spaced from said-contact finger.

2. In an electrical cutout of the character having a fuse cartridge, acartridge mounting member secured to the lower end of said cartridge,said cartridge mounting member being removably hinged to a fixed member,the improvement comprising, an intermediate member 'pivotally connectedwith said cartridge mounting member and having a separable rockingconnection with said fixed member, a spring biasing said cartridgemounting member for inward movement with respect to said intermediatemember about their pivotal connection, and a fuse link connected at oneend to said cartridge and at its other end to said intermediate member,said fuse link when taut opposing the bias of said spring.

3. In an electrical cutout of the character having a fuse cartridgearranged to discharge downwardly the gases generated as a consequence ofrupture of the fuse link within the cartridge, said cartridge having ahinge for engagement with a lower fixed terminal at the bottom and beingresiliently latched at the top to an upper fixed terminal but free toswing downwardly outwardly about its hinge when unlatched, theimprovement comprising, the upper fixed terminal having a contactelement adapted to engage the side of said cartridge upon upwardmovement thereof so as to limit the upwardly inward movement of saidcartridge about said hinge, said cartridge being so latched at its topas to normally remain in a position where the upper end thereof isspaced from said contact element, said hinge comprising a fixed memberhaving an open slot, a cartridge mounting member, an intermediate memberhaving a pivot pin removably received in said slot, said intermediatemember having a pivotal connection with said cartridge mounting member,a spring biasing the pivoted parts oppositely about said pivotalconnection, a fuse link anchored to said intermediate member and to thecartridge, said fuse link being tensioned against the bias of saidspring, said spring acting to urge the cartridge upwardly upon ruptureof the fuse link, and a-contact brush on the lower fixed terminalengaging said intermediate member through the amplitude of its movementduring which arcs may be drawn at the upper end of said cartridge.

4. In an electrical cutout having a fuse cartridge hinged to a lowerfixed terminal at its bottom end resiliently latched at its top to anupper fixed terminal but free to swing downwardly outwardly about itshinge when unlatched, the improvement comprising, the upper fixedterminal having a movable contact member, and a contact fingerresiliently mounted for movement with respect to said movable contactmember and adapted to engage the side of said cartridge upon upwardmovement of said movable contact member so as to propel said cartridgeoutwardly about its hinge.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 6Pittman et al. Feb. 22, 1938 Pittman et al May 9, 1939 Triplett et a1June 6, 1939 McCluskey et al. Nov. 14, 1939 Johnson Feb. 4, 1941 SmithJuly 22, 1941 Schultz Sept. 5, 1944 Schultz Dec. 12, 1944 Schultz et al.Apr. 16, 1946 Milne et al. Oct. 13, 1953 Curtis et al. Oct. 18, 1955Edwards et a1. Feb. 14, 1956 Lindell May 15, 1956 Harder Apr. 1, 1958Yonkers June 24, 1958

